1. In the morning yesterday, ICE (DRO) arrested a family at a south Berkeley home right next to a Berkeley school. The detained family (grandparents, mother & aunt) just happens to be related to a student involved with BOCA, which has been very active in speaking out against ICE at community forums in immigrant commuities. See Berkeley Organizing Congregations for Action (BOCA), http://www.berkeleyboca.org/id4.html.

2. The detained individuals did not have prior deportation orders or criminal issues, as they have all been released from custody apparently (with NTAs and possibly ISAP bracelets). All are from Mexico, so if there were prior deportation orders, they would be back in Mexico today (ICE immediately returns Mexican nationals with prior deportation orders to Mexico under an ongoing agreement with the govt. of Mexico).

3. This ICE incident was witnessed by parents and students in Berkeley and the Berkeley school district put out a district wide alert about ICE activity in the area and warning parents.

4. ICE also confirmed that they arrested a woman in East Oakland near E Street and 98th Avenue, near the Stonehurst school grounds, where Korematsu Discovery Academy, Esperanza Academy, and Stonehurst elementary schools are located. ICE vans were apparently present in the neighborhood near the school most of the morning. Oakland mayor Ron Dellums went to the school in the afternoon with several other east bay politicians, community advocates, and legal observers to condemn ICE being near the school.

5. Rumors then swirled about ICE activity at other schools in the East Bay, including rumors of ICE at Mission High School and in the Mission District in San Francisco.

6. There is an official DHS CBP (Customs & Border Protection) policy issued April 20, 2004 (re-iterating a June 2001 official policy) to avoid apprehension of individuals and to tightly control investigative operations on the premises of schools, places of worship, funerals and other religious ceremonies.

Have a stress-free day!Randall

Randall Caudle, AILA Santa Clara Valley Chapter Chair-Elect

Adjunct Professor of Law at Golden Gate University School of Law -Immigration & Refugee Law